The Antics of Lindsey Willows
by KWillows
Summary: One girl will stop at nothing to see that her mother winds up where she should be... CWR
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is the companion piece to **Headliner** centering around Lindsey and her attempt to find her mother someone to love. It's not really necessary to read the other story, but it might help.

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**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 1

Light glinted off the baubles dangling in the window. Lindsey Willows sat at the kitchen table staring out this very window. She was quite satisfied with herself. She had single-handedly (alright, so Lexi was there too, but she, Lindsey, was really the one in command) made it so Sara moved in with Nick. They had been together ever since, according to Sara and Nick's daughter Alexis (it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours yet, but happiness comes fast for some people). All three adults (Catherine included) hadn't been too happy about the situation that brought them together, but both girls had been let off with relatively easy punishments. Lindsey concluded from all of this that she could do extreme things and not feel any backlash from it.

The wheels inside her mind began to turn as she stared at the picture of her and her mother on the mantelpiece. It was so long ago when they were happy. Eddie Willows had been in the scene, but only as Lindsey's sometimes-there father. While she would never admit it, Lindsey hated the way he had treated her mother. Catherine had cried countless times over a cheating husband, and yet for the longest time she had no strength to end it. Even when she did divorce him, the pain he had caused resurrected itself time and time again. His death hadn't ended the problem either. If anything, it had made it worse when Lindsey started rebelling. Lindsey had known it wasn't a good idea from the beginning, but once she started, she couldn't stop.

Now, at thirteen, she was beginning to think back on her choices. She realized that all she wanted was for her mother to be happy. She knew her mother was lonely, and a lonely mother meant a cranky mother. Lindsey figured if she could correct this situation, both of their lives would improve drastically.

The plot was forming. Truth be told, she needed a little help, but as she was grounded for the next eighteen hours for "holding a fugitive" as her mother had put it, she was pretty much stuck. She heard a snore and looked over to the couch. Her grandmother was fast asleep. Lily Flynn obviously did not have a great sense of hearing because Lindsey had snuck out countless times. There were also the occasions when Catherine herself had run away as a child. Lily had been losing her touch for years and this was the thing Lindsey was counting on. That and her ability to manipulate any situation to her liking.

She woke up at seven the next morning and crept softly around her house. Catherine was nowhere to be found and Lily had moved from the couch. As far as Lindsey could tell, she had the house to herself. Her phone restrictions had been lifted and she made her way into the kitchen. She flipped through her mother's address book and found the number she was looking for.

"Tangiers Casino, this is Becky. How may I help you?"

"May I speak to Sam Braun please?" Lindsey asked trying to sound as grown up as possible.

"Who is calling?" the woman asked in a robotic tone.

"Lindsey Willows."

"Is Mr. Braun expecting your call, Miss Willows?"

"No, but he should always be willing to accept calls from his granddaughter."

The woman gave a light laugh. "So we're going for the granddaughter bit today are we? I'll tell you, this is the first time I've heard this one today."

Lindsey stomped her foot in the kitchen. "I really am his granddaughter. Why don't you call and ask him. I bet you a million bucks." She bit her lip, realizing she had slipped up on the "act older" front.

Becky sounded exasperated. "One moment please."

Lindsey raised her eyebrow as hold music came on. It reminded her of dentist music and she instinctively felt a pain in her tooth. She hoped Becky would hurry.

"Are you Lindsey Willows, daughter of Catherine Willows?"

"Yes," she replied with an edge of an attitude.

"One moment please."

The music was back and so was the pain. Luckily it only lasted for a few seconds. "Lindsey? Is that you?"

"Hey, Sam. How are you?"

"I'm just fine, but I'm a bit busy. Is there something I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. You see, it's about Mom…" The conversation went on for a few minutes while Lindsey explained what tricks she had up her sleeve. Sam seemed impressed at the girl's knack for plotting. She definitely had Braun blood in her.

At last Sam said, "Your mom's a tough person. I don't know if it'll work, but I'll try."

"Thanks, Sam."

"You're welcome. Oh and Lindsey, don't get in too much trouble, all right?"

She giggled. "I'll try."

Catherine returned home a few hours later, dead on her feet. Lindsey greeted her from the couch. As Catherine strolled into the kitchen for a glass of water she noticed the address book open on the counter. "Linds, who were you calling today?"

Lindsey silently cursed herself and ran to the counter before her mother could see the page it was opened to. She slammed it shut and set it back on top of the phone book. "No one. I was just looking."

"Oh right, and the reason you came over here so fast to close it was because you aren't finished and you wouldn't want me intruding on your unfinished product," Catherine said skeptically.

"Exactly," Lindsey said quickly and headed to her room.

"Where are you going?"

"It is ten in the morning and I have a life. I'm meeting Lexi at the park."

"Alright, but be careful. And wear sunscreen."

"I'm not a child mother. I have a brain."

"Linds, you are thirteen. That's a child."

"Whatever." She grabbed her bag and left the house. In due time her mother would see just what she had been doing with the address book. In time she would see that her daughter really did care about her love life. She would come to realize that maybe at thirteen one wasn't so much of a child anymore.

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**A/N2: **Please give me some feedback. Thanks much. 


	2. Chapter 2

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 2

"The one downside of this job," Catherine stated to herself, "is the relentless paperwork. Everything else is fine, but this, this I could live without." She pulled her glasses off her nose and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She had been at it so long that the words were running together and looked like a sea of ink. She rose from her chair and reached for a dollar bill in her purse. It was definitely time for a soda break. She was halfway out the door when the jingling of her cell phone caused her to stop. She considered ignoring it and going ahead with her refreshment, but reasoned that people did call for important reasons and she'd be happier not making people angry. She stepped hastily to her desk and lifted the phone from the pocket of her purse. "Willows."

"Hello, Mugs."

"Sam, what can I do for you?"

"How've you been? How's Lindsey? Has she been staying out of trouble?"

"I'm fine, Sam. We're fine. Can I help you with something or did you call just to make small talk?"

"I actually had a favor to ask you."

"Oh you did? How much hot water are you in this time?" She rolled her eyes and shut the door to her office. She did not want any of her lab friends overhearing this conversation.

"It's nothing like that, Mugs. I'm throwing a bit of a party for the anniversary of the opening of my casino. I'd like you to come."

"Sam, I," he cut in.

"I can understand if you don't want to, but I'm taking your mother as my date and I know she'd like you to come as well."

She frowned. He was dragging her mother into the middle of his life. She knew that Lily Flynn loved Sam very much, but she couldn't forget the pain he had caused. She needed to make sure that her mother was treated properly so she sighed into the phone. "Alright, I'll go."

"That's wonderful. The party is Saturday at the Tangiers. Oh, and Mugs, bring a date."

"What? Sam, I," she closed her eyes at the sound of him hanging up the phone.

Lindsey paced in front of the phone. She twirled her hair between her fingers. At last it rang and she picked it up quick. "Did you do it?" she said lightning fast.

"Hello to you too, Lindsey."

"Hi, Sam. Come on, did you do it?"

He chuckled. His granddaughter sure had spice, just like her mother. "She said she'll come to the party, but you've got to do the rest."

"You got it. Thanks again." She chose a chair at the table and picked up the pen. Her mother would have three days to come up with a suitable date to take to the party. Lindsey knew her mother well enough to know just how she'd come up with one. All she had to do was set the board right and Catherine would move just like Lindsey wanted her to. She picked up the phone again and began to dial.

"Grissom's office."

"Hi, Uncle Gil, this is Lindsey."

"Hello there, Lindsey. Do you need me to page your mother?"

"No!" she yelled, "I mean, I called to talk to you."

"Okay, what do you need?"

"See, the thing is, I think my mom is going to want to go out on Saturday. Some party or something. My grandma is going too, so I'm going to be left home by myself. I was wondering if you could stay by a phone or something so I can call you if I need you. I'm just a little nervous about staying home alone."

"Sure, Lindsey. I'd be happy to check on you every once in a while."

"Thanks so much. Oh, and one more thing: please don't tell my mom about this. I don't want her to think I'm too much of a baby."

"I understand. I'll talk to you Saturday." He smiled as he placed the receiver down. Lindsey reminded him so much of her mother. She was definitely going to be something when she grew up.

Lindsey punched the off button smirking as she thumbed through the pages of her mother's address book. "One down, two to go," she said as she dialed the next number.

"Stokes."

"Hi Nick, this is Lindsey Willows."

"Hey, Lindsey. How are you?"

"I'm pretty good. How about you?"

"I'm fine. Your mom is on paper duty today, so you can call her office and find her there."

"Thanks, but I need to ask you a favor."

"Sure; what can I do for you?"

"My mom has this thing on Saturday and it's going to leave me home alone and I'm not really comfortable with that. I just wanted to know if you would be available for me to call you if I needed something."

"I think I can do that. I'm sure Lexi wouldn't mind going over there."

"That would be great too, but I'd still like it if I could know you're available."

"That's not a problem at all."

"Thanks. Hey, Nick, could we keep this between us and not tell my mom?"

"I don't see why not. Talk to you later."

Lindsey wasted no time in calling Greg as well and dropping the loneliness story on his lap. She was not at all surprised when he immediately agreed to devote his Saturday night to waiting for her call. She had so many people wrapped around her finger. Now that she had taken all necessary precautions to make sure her plan went as good as possible, all she could do was sit and wait.

Catherine threw the last piece of paper onto the towering stack of forms. Her neck was stiff and she was positive a tension headache was coming on. She was ready to head out the door and go home for a good sleep when she remembered what she had yet to accomplish. She grimaced at the thought of finding a date in less than a week. It was true that she could probably go to any bar and pick up a guy, but considering how well that had worked for her in the past she discarded that idea. She was just going to have to take one of the lab guys. The base of her skull began to throb and she massaged the back of her neck. That idea was a headache in itself. She stared down the hall to Gil's door and took a deep breath.

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**A/N: **Let me know what you thought. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **If I ever had trouble uploading a chapter, it was this one. Thank goodness the site is finally working!

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**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 3

Catherine didn't bother to knock; she just barged right in Grissom's office and stood in front of his desk. "Gil, what are you doing Saturday night?"

"You mean besides working?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah." She stared at the polish on her nails that was peeling slightly.

"As it so happens, I have a date."

She chuckled and flashed her signature smile. "You have a date?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

She chose the badge of honesty. "Yes."

He rose from his chair and opened the door. "Well, believe it or not, the choice is yours." He strolled off.

"That went well," she sighed. She had been counting on Grissom to be her date. Not because she liked him, he was just her friend, but because he had no life and would be available. So much for counting on the underdog. She passed the DNA lab and saw Nick inside talking to Wendy. She was near the center of the lobby when she turned around. He was coming out the door and nearly ran into her. "Whoa, Nicky, where's the fire?"

"Oh, sorry, Cath. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"No kidding. Hey, you have Saturday night off, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"What're you doing?"

"I, uh," he paused, "I have a date."

"I didn't think Sara had the night off."

"She doesn't. It's someone else. Catherine, Sara and I aren't dating. We just live together."

"Right. Well, never mind then."

"Okay." He laughed as he headed off to find Greg.

Catherine felt defeated. She had met two dead ends in less than ten minutes. She decided to go home and get some sleep. She could always try again tomorrow. Perhaps one of the two men would lose their date. She could only hope.

Sara was there and she looked up when Catherine entered. "Clocking out?"

Catherine spun the dial on her locker. "Oh yeah. I'm beat."

"I know the feeling."

"Sara, did you know that Grissom has a date Saturday?"

Sara laughed but stopped herself when she saw Catherine's unchanging expression. "You're serious aren't you?"

"Yeah. And it's not just him. Nick has a date too. I was going to ask one of them to go to this ridiculous party Sam Braun's throwing, but they're both busy."

"You could always ask Warrick."

Catherine let out an exasperated chuckle. "Please, Sara. I'm not going with a married man.

"Oh come on, Catherine. It's one night. All you're doing is going to a party. It's not going to kill either one of you."

"Well, I have until Saturday. I'll ask him as a last resort." She frowned at Sara who was grinning madly and grabbed her purse. She was out of the locker room fast.

Nick waltzed in just as Sara shut her door. "Hey, Nick, what is this I hear about you having a date on Saturday?"

He looked over both shoulders and out the door down the hallway. "It's nothing. Lindsey wants me to be available while she's home alone Saturday and she doesn't want Catherine to know."

"Lexi can take care of her."

"That's what I said, but the kid seemed hooked on me."

"She was going to ask you to a party."

"Who?"

"Catherine," Sara said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She was going to ask Grissom, but he said he had a date too."

Nick laughed. "I bet that was Lindsey too. Grissom doesn't date. Besides, Catherine should ask Warrick."

"That's what I told her."

He put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home to our kid."

* * *

When Catherine walked in the door she was unsurprised to find Lindsey still awake. The girl was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels, practically bored to tears. "Why do you keep waiting up for me?"

Lindsey chose her words carefully. Anything she said had to make the plan move forward. She couldn't lose sight of her goal. "Grandpa called earlier today. When I said you weren't home, he said he'd call you at work. I just wanted to know what it was all about."

Catherine had to remind herself not to roll her eyes. It wasn't an easy task. "Oh, I see. Well there's this benefit on Saturday and he wanted to make sure I was going."

"You mean I have to be home all by myself?"

"Gosh, I didn't even think about that. I'll have to cancel."

"No! Mom, I'm thirteen. I can handle myself. Besides, Lexi will be at her house and she was thinking about coming over anyway."

"You want me to go that bad? Okay, we'll try it. I'll keep my phone with me so you can call if you need anything."

* * *

The clock was ticking early Friday morning. Most of the state still slept soundly in their beds, but not the members of the grave shift at CSI. They were getting ready to come off a long work night and fall into a peaceful sleep. Most of them were, anyway. Catherine Willows was still in a bit of a pickle. She had eavesdropped on conversations Nick and Grissom had with others hoping to hear something about a canceled date, but it was to no avail. Sara gave her a knowing head shake every time she saw this. "Just ask Warrick," she'd whisper to Catherine, but the older woman would shush her and wave her away. By the time Warrick was preparing to leave, Catherine knew she had no choice.

She tried to appear as nonchalant as possible and ease into the conversation, but she failed. "So what are you doing Saturday night?" she blurted out and silently scolded herself.

"Nothing, why?"

_At least he has no plans, _she thought. "Oh, just wondering if you're weekend was going to be as eventful as mine." _Am I insane? I'm making it sound like I'm lucky to be in this dilemma._

"What's going on with you?" he asked.

"Oh, Sam Braun is having this party at the Tangiers and he asked me to go. I would've said no, but he's taking my mom and I have to make sure he behaves himself…her too, I suppose. Of course he waited until the last possible moment to mention that I needed to bring a date."

"How's that going?"

She chuckled. The honesty badge was displayed on her shirt once again. "Not too well. The only people I thought to ask already have dates. Short notice, I suppose. I would just not go, but Lindsey really wants this opportunity to prove she's responsible. I know I should hire someone after her little exploit the last time she was alone, but I really need to go."

He stood up and ran a hand over his hair. "This thing's tomorrow right?"

"Yep."

"And it's just a party?"

"Yeah. Shaking hands, eating, dancing, and drinks. Lots of drinks."

"You know, Catherine, I could go with you. For a couple of hours anyway. That way you can check on your mom and you don't have to worry about going with some scumbag."

"Oh, Warrick, that'd be great. You're great, you know that?"

"That's what they tell me at home." She tensed up and he saw it. Obviously she was thinking about his wife. "You know, my grandma tells me that all the time." She seemed to ease up a little, but was out of the locker room in a flash.

Catherine ran her fingers through her hair. She was relieved she had finally found a date, but nervous too. Saturday was certainly going to be a test.

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**A/N2: **This one was a bit harder to tap out, but I got it. More to come. Let me know your thoughts please. 


	4. Chapter 4

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 4

Lindsey sat on the couch in her living room. Lexi Sidle sat next to her and was flipping through a gossip magazine. They tossed chit-chat back and forth every now and then, but mostly sat in quiet anticipation of Catherine's exit from her room. The words ran out and boredom settled in. Lindsey lied upside down on the couch with her feet over the back. She pulled on her shoelace and watched as it fell limp. The shoe plopped onto the floor and she rolled off the couch. She picked the shoe up by the lace and walked to the hallway that led to her mother's room. She was ten feet away and chucked it at the door. It ricocheted off with a loud bang.

Lindsey rushed back to the couch and picked up a book. Her mother stepped out of the hallway holding the shoe. "Lose something?" she asked.

Both girls' jaws dropped. Catherine sensed their shock and nervously brushed her bangs away from her eyes. Lexi stood up. "They say that nothing can beat the little black dress, but I think you've done it."

Catherine was dressed in an elegant red gown that stopped just above her knee. It sparkled in all the right places, but was not overdramatic. She wore a simple strand of pearls around her neck and ruby high heels. "Thank you, Lexi."

Lindsey was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. "Mom, you never told us, who did you wrangle in for a date?" She tried to make the question sound casual, but it came out with a bit of excited expectancy.

"Warrick," Catherine said as she picked up her purse from a short table near the door. Lindsey and Lexi were careful to avoid making eye contact.

"Oh, that's cool. He's a nice guy," Lindsey replied.

"Yes, he is and he's going to be here any second, so I'm going to lay the ground rules down now. You two stay here or Nick's. Lindsey, if you do go over there, make sure you leave me a note. I don't want anyone else at either place unless it's an adult who I know and trust. If Greg shows up, keep him out of the kitchen." The girls nodded and the doorbell rang. Lindsey jumped up to answer it.

"Hey, Warrick, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm picking up your mother. We've got a party to go to." He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out two five dollar bills. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "One's for you. The other goes to Lexi."

"Thanks," she whispered back. "So you're taking my mom out, are you?" she asked a bit louder, "You better behave. I don't need any siblings."

Catherine heard the comment and dropped her purse on the carpet. "Lindsey Willows!"

The girl shrugged her shoulders innocently. "What?"

Catherine retrieved her purse, hugged her daughter, and was out the door with Warrick. Lexi turned to her friend. "What was that all about?"

"I've got to shake them up somehow. My grandfather put on this party for one sole purpose and I don't want it to go to waste."

* * *

Warrick held the door of his Denali as Catherine stepped out. "Sorry about earlier," she said.

"What?"

"Lindsey. I don't know what she was thinking."

He laughed. "It's okay. She's a kid."

"Sure." She let out a forced laugh of her own.

They walked together, through the glass doors into the extravagant lobby of the casino. There were just a few couples scattered around the room. Catherine pulled back in nervousness. "Hey," Warrick said, "it'll be fine. Everyone's probably in the main area."

They continued on and soon came to a larger group of people. Catherine sighed. "This is much better. Let's get a drink."

Catherine and Warrick were chatting at the bar over a couple of drinks when an old woman walked up. Warrick noticed that Catherine seemed to recognize the lady, but was a bit concerned about her.

"Catherine, dear," she said, "it's so nice to see you."

"You too, Bertha. How're the cats?"

"Dead."

Catherine's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Bertha waved a finger to the bar tender. "Whiskey. Fast." She turned back to Catherine. "I'm not. Those things drove me crazy. I've got dogs now."

"That's good."

"Yeah, it is." She took notice of the man standing by the younger woman. "Eddie, I didn't know you were here. Catherine, Sam said you and Eddie were having problems, but I guess you got those all worked out. You look good, Ed. Different, but good."

Warrick started to speak up but Catherine put her hand on his chest. "Yes, he does." She pointed off into the crowd. "Oh my goodness, is that Sean Connery?"

The woman became excited, stuttered a harried good-bye and ran off to find Sean.

"Who the heck was that?" Warrick asked looking slightly dazed.

"I am so sorry about that. Bertha is blind as a bat. Not that smart either. I was surprised she knew my name."

"Did she even _know _Eddie?"

"I believe they're related."

He chuckled. "Now _that _I can see." A slow song started to play and he grabbed her by the hand. She pulled back slightly, but he made it to the dance floor. "Don't try to run away. You owe me."

They danced, and were only interrupted four more times by people inquiring as to who Catherine was with. No one else assumed he was Eddie. For that, Warrick was grateful.

* * *

Lexi tossed the plush football to Lindsey. "What do you think they're doing right now?"

Lindsey pursed her lips. "At this very moment? I bet they're dancing."

"You think she got him to dance?"

Lindsey threw the ball back. "I think the better question is if he got _her_ to dance."

"Your mom is in that dress; there's no way she didn't dance." She passed the football.

"I sure hope they're having a good time."

* * *

Four hours later, Catherine and Warrick linked arms as they walked up the driveway to her front door. Catherine was holding her side with her free hand and laughing uncontrollably. Warrick was chuckling as well.

"Man, who knew old Bertha could get that violent?" he laughed.

"I still can't believe she really thought he was Sean Connery."

"Yeah, and was she angry when he denied the autograph or what?"

"I don't think Sam will be inviting her to any more parties anytime soon," she said, grinning. They reached the door and conversation melted away. "I had a really good time tonight," she said, "Thanks so much for being my sanity chip."

"I had fun. You're welcome. Anytime you need someone to play the part of your ex-husband, call me."

She laughed. "Thanks again. I better go. Sara and Nick are going to be wanting their kid back and I believe we're being spied on."

"I'll see you at work, then."

Catherine gave a half-smile. "Yeah, you will."

He walked to the car and watched as she entered her home. Then he drove to his own home and the woman who was waiting for him there.

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**A/N: **Feedback is always appreciated. 


	5. Chapter 5

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 5

Warrick pulled the key out of the ignition and sat back in his seat. The kitchen light was on and that meant his house was not empty. Tina was there and awake, most likely waiting to ask about his day. It had been a risk going with Catherine, but it was one he was willing to take. He exited the vehicle and strolled up the walk. Turning the key in the knob, he could hear shuffling inside. She was ready for him. He opened the door and put on a smile. Tina sat on the arm of the couch and she was not happy.

Her arms were folded across her chest and her lips were tight. "Where have you been?" she asked in an accusatory manner.

"Out," he answered.

"I called your work. They said you had tonight off."

"I did."

"You told me earlier that you had something to do for a colleague."

"I did."

She stood up. "Would this colleague be female?"

"Yes. Look, Catherine had a business dinner to attend to and she needed some company, so I went along."

"Drop everything and run for Catherine, right?"

"She's my supervisor, Tina. When your boss asks you for a favor, you generally give in."

"Was. Was your supervisor, Warrick. You told me the team got back together."

"We did, but she's still my superior. And what about all of the things you've had to do for David?"

She turned around to face to wall. "That's different."

He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her back around. "Yeah, he's your ex-husband."

"At least we know that his intentions are completely innocent. Who knows anything about this girl? She could be trying to rope you in as we speak!"

"David has innocent intentions? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You know he wants you back. I've seen the looks he gives you at the hospital."

"Warrick, I don't want to talk about this right now." She went to the bedroom and shut the door.

"You started it!" he yelled. He rubbed his left hand over his eye and sighed. "Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

* * *

Catherine was immediately bombarded with questions when she entered her home that evening. Both Lindsey and Lexi wanted the story of the night and weren't going to settle for anything less than the absolute truth. She knew this and felt it would only be right to acquiesce.

She sat in the middle, with a hand on a knee of each girl, and spilled the story. The only thing she didn't include was the actual conversation that got Bertha looking for Sean Connery. Catherine didn't want to upset Lindsey by talking bad about her father. It was always a touchy subject.

When they were satisfied that the evening had turned out quite well (Lindsey felt it would've had a better ending if there had been a kiss), Catherine drove Lexi home.

* * *

The next night before work, Catherine was in the locker room and was soon joined by Sara. The ladies smiled at each other and continued preparing for shift. Sara was grinning wildly the entire time and constantly glanced Catherine's direction. The older woman picked up on this.

"Is there something you want to ask me, Sara?"

"Oh, no." Cath thought she dropped the subject. "Well, actually, there is. Lexi got home last night, you know, and she told me that you had a good time at your party. Then she went to bed."

"Uh huh. What's the question?"

"Okay, so she didn't tell me all of the details because she's sixteen and feels that it's your business. I got to thinking. If you had fun and didn't take Nick or Grissom or Greg, then you must've taken Warrick. Did you?"

"Yes."

"I knew you would. Are you going to ask him out again?"

"Sara Sidle, what has gotten into you this evening? You're giddy as a school-girl and I've never seen you like this before."

"I have no idea. I had coffee this morning, which is no different than every other morning, and it seems to have some effect on me. You can ignore that last question. I don't think you of all people would cheat on someone."

"Thanks," Catherine said with a slightly confused look on her face. "Who made the coffee, you or Nick?"

"Nick."

"There's your problem. You and Nick are different people; you like different things. His coffee is obviously not good for you. Go find Greg before you ask Ecklie what made him choose to shine his head."

Sara laughed. "Oh that's a good one."

Nick entered the bathroom and saw Warrick leaning over a sink, staring into the mirror. "You look beat, man," he said to his friend.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep good last night."

"You had your big party with Catherine, didn't you?"

Warrick turned towards him. "You knew about that?"

"Dude, Lexi lives with me. She said Cath went to the party and I knew Grissom and Greg didn't go with her. That left you."

"Yeah, it was me."

"You have fun?" he asked as he used the facility.

"It was nice. We got asked a lot of questions though. Good news, only one person thought I was Eddie."

"Someone thought you were Eddie?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so you had a good time. Why are you so tired?"

"The wife wasn't too happy about me going out."

Nick whistled. "Ouch. Slept on the couch?"

"Yep. You ever have that problem with Sara?"

Nick went over to wash his hands. "For one, Sara and I aren't married, and two, I haven't been to any parties lately. How are you going to handle the situation?"

"What situation? I shouldn't have to explain what I did. Catherine needed some help, so I helped her. Is that a crime?"

Nick chose to bite the bullet. "Was that your only intention? You only went to the party because Cath couldn't get anyone else to go with her?"

Warrick remained quiet for a moment. "Yeah. That's why I went." He finished washing up and left the room.

Nick stared at the door. "Sure. I wonder if he'd place a bet on that."

* * *

**A/N: **You know what to do! 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **After an excellent tip from a fellow writer you know who you are :) I've decided to accept anonymous reviews, so there ya go. Enjoy chapter six!

* * *

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 6

Lindsey was disappointed. She knew that her mother's "date" with Warrick had been a success, but it had had little affect on the big picture. Warrick was still married to Tina (the thought of anyone married to Warrick other than Catherine made her skin crawl) and her mother was still single. Both of these Lindsey hoped to change.

Nick, Sara, and Lexi had just flown to Texas, so they would be unavailable for the next week. This both helped and hindered Lindsey's operation. She had people out of the way for when she got her plan, but also lacked a couple of key players.

Ever since the party, Catherine had been spending more time at work. She often worked double shifts or was home exclusively when Lindsey was at school. As much as this bugged her, the teenager figured she could use it to her advantage.

One evening, about a third of the way through the Stokes/Sidle vacation, Lindsey placed a call to Lexi.

"Stokes. Oh, sorry, habit. Hello?"

Lindsey giggled into the phone. "Hi Nick. Can I speak to Lexi please?"

"Sure. Hold on a second."

"Hello?"

"Hi Lexi. It's Lindsey."

"Hey! How are you?"

"Good. Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I'm doing it tonight."

"What? When we're out of town? I wanted to see it."

"Yeah, but with you guys in Texas, that limits who can come to my rescue."

"Good point," Lexi agreed. "Be careful okay? And call me tomorrow."

"You got it." Lindsey hung up. She quickly dialed Greg's number.

"Sanders."

"Hey, Greg, is my mom busy?"

Greg pulled back the phone and stared at it. Who would ask him about their mother? "Who is this?"

"Lindsey Willows."

"Of course it is. Yeah she's kind of busy. You want me to get her?"

"Greg, is she busy enough that she'll be mad if I bug her?"

"Probably."

"Okay, thanks. You've been a big help." She replaced the receiver.

"No problem," he said to himself.

Lindsey paced around the living room floor. She didn't have much time. Sooner or later Greg would meet up with Catherine and tell her that Lindsey had called. She started subconsciously rubbing her fingers. She knew the next part of the operation would hurt, but she had to make it as real as possible. She walked over to her bedroom door and placed her hand on the molding.

"You can do this. You can do this. I can do this," she repeated between deep breaths.

Using her free hand, she grasped the metal handle. It was cool on her palm. She hesitated.

"It's just like pulling a band-aid off your skin…except it hurts a lot worse."

She gritted her teeth and pulled hard. A scream escaped her lips. She released the door knob and started jumping up and down. Lindsey could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She was seriously reconsidering her choice to do this at all. She ran as fast as she could to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. She dialed speedily, hoping someone would answer.

"Brown."

She let the tears flow. "Warrick? Is that you?"

"Lindsey? Are you alright?"

He sounded concerned. She would've smiled, but after slamming her hand in the door she wasn't up to much more than crying. "No. My hand hurts really bad and I tried to call my mom but Greg said she was really busy and I didn't want to make her mad at me, but I need someone." She knew that her run-on sentence had probably sent him into a frenzy. Adults tried to pretend that they understood kids, but when it came down to it, they had no idea. She also knew that he was probably wrestling with himself. He had a job to do at the crime lab, but a girl had just called him and she was hurt. It was an added bonus that she was Catherine's child.

"Lindsey, stay right there." He mentally slapped himself. Where was she going to go? He didn't think she was really in a partying mood. "I'll be over as soon as I can."

She left the phone on the table and continued jumping around. She hadn't been lying when she told him her hand hurt. She looked down and thought she could see a bruise forming on one of her fingers. "This better work!" she said through clenched teeth.

She went to the freezer and pulled out a few cubes of ice. After wrapping them in a paper towel she placed it to her hand. Ten minutes later she heard Warrick's car in the driveway. She raced to the bathroom mirror and flipped the light on. "Good. It still looks like I was crying."

She opened the door when he got there and flung herself at him. He picked her up and carried her inside to the couch. "Let's see what we've got here." He took hold of her hand and she winced. "Ouch. What did you do?"

"I slammed my hand in my bedroom door."

"On purpose?"

She gasped. "No! I was going to get something and closed the door. Or tried to, anyway."

"Alright, alright." He pulled her close. She held the ice on her hand and leaned against his chest. He put his head on the side of the couch and closed his eyes. He had just dozed off to sleep when he heard the faint sound of crying. He looked down. Tears were running down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his hand.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She had just been sitting, icing her hand, and started bawling. It hadn't been the plan. She felt like a three-year-old.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He brushed her hair from her face.

"I miss my mom. I haven't seen her all week. Lexi's in Texas and none of my friends can ever hang out after school. I'm lonely. My mom's not even the one who comes to see me when I get hurt, you are." She kept crying. The story wasn't entirely true, but it was going to serve its purpose.

* * *

Catherine Willows strolled into the break room and met up with all of her colleagues. Well, almost all of them. She immediately noticed Warrick's absence. She grabbed a Pepsi from the fridge and faced the group. "Where's Warrick?"

"Your house," Grissom stated as if she had asked the time.

She chuckled. "What's he doing there?"

"Apparently Lindsey called and said she hurt herself. He went to see her."

Catherine threw the unopened pop in the trash. "My kid is injured and you're just telling me this now?"

"She called earlier. You were busy," said Greg.

"I'm not too busy when she's hurt, Greg. I'll see you all tonight." She left without another word.

Lindsey was fast asleep on Warrick's lap. His arm had joined her hours ago, but he didn't dare move it. He heard a key turn in the lock.

Catherine walked into her house looking flustered. She was greeted by the sight of her daughter and Warrick on the couch. She smiled. "Hey, how long have you been here?"

"Since nine-thirty," he whispered.

She pointed a finger toward Lindsey. "What was the injury?"

"Her hand. She slammed it in a door."

"That's my girl for you. Here, I'll wake her up."

He held up a hand. "No, that's okay. She's been out for awhile. She'll get up soon. How was work?"

"The usual. People died, we investigated. Actually, it was the first time all week I haven't worked a double."

"So I've heard. She misses you, Cath."

She frowned. "If you're going to be here awhile, you might as well be warm." She walked over to the linen closet and pulled out a pillow and blanket. He was grinning when she came back. "Oh don't flatter yourself, Brown. I'd do it for anyone."

"Right. See you later."

She tossed the blanket over his face and went to her room. As she gently shut the door she realized she was less stressed than she had been in awhile.

* * *

**A/N2: **Opinions, please. 


	7. Chapter 7

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 7

Catherine rose later that afternoon to the scent of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon. She had been warm beneath the mountain of covers splayed on her bed and could've easily given in to temptation and thrown herself back on them, but she resisted. The delightful smells were calling her attention.

She stuck her toes into furry bunny slippers (a past birthday gift from her daughter) and pulled a robe over her satin nightgown. After a furtive glance in the hall mirror (she deemed she looked somewhat respectable) she waltzed nonchalantly into the main living area of her house.

It was a sight she had never counted on witnessing in her lifetime. A bubbly thirteen-year-old (that was a shock in itself) sat perched on a wooden stool. She had a spoonful of batter smeared over her nose. Lindsey was staring contently at the man behind the counter. He was shirtless (the garment lay amidst a mess of blankets on the floor) and whipping up a treat. He stuck his finger into a bowl and held it out to the girl. She licked it right off without a second thought. Her squeal was enough to signify that she found it quite delectable.

Catherine leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. She gazed at the scene and silently prayed that she wasn't dreaming. After pinching herself (and cursing under her breath at the pain) she broke out in a grin. It covered her whole face. She was completely enamored by the scene set out in front of her. The image of the two of them playing in the kitchen just seemed to fit.

Her mind began to wander. Her thoughts drifted away from present-day Las Vegas and moved to a time in the future. She was standing in the exact same position in the room. Warrick was cooking in the kitchen and Lindsey watched his every move. They were a bit older and were not alone. Two other children (who she did not recognize, but could only assume they belonged to, well, her) jumped at the counter, hoping to get a taste. Her dream-self moved forward. She reached the group and one youngster wrapped his arms around her leg. She was about to pick him up when—.

"Cath? Catherine, are you alright?"

She nodded and the daydream ended. Warrick stood before her, a look of concern spread across his face. "I'm fine. Just thinking." She met his eyes and her own circled his face. Flour stuck to hairs. She lifted the washrag from his shoulder and placed it in his hand. "Did you have a fight with the flour bag?" she asked.

He grinned and threw the rag at Lindsey. It hit her in the face. "Yeah, see, what happened was that Lindsey thought we weren't cooking right if we weren't wearing what we were cooking with. Then she fixed me, so I fixed her. We'll clean up; don't worry."

She followed him to the kitchen. "I'm not worried. Lindsey's a great cleaner when she sets her mind to it. I'm sure she can teach you a few things."

He picked the rag up from where Lindsey had discarded it and tossed it at Catherine. "You better be nice, or I'll have to eat all of your secret breakfast dish."

She placed a hand to her chest. "Surely you jest?"

"Not at all, sweetheart."

It was a picture perfect hour. The three of them sat around the dining room table feasting on Warrick's creation. He wouldn't disclose what it was, no matter how hard Catherine prodded him with an extra fork. Both girls agreed it was unfair for him to treat them to a melt-in-your-mouth delight and then leave them guessing as to what it was. As fate would have it, Catherine ended up cleaning the kitchen. She didn't complain. Warrick and Lindsey stayed at the table, conversing over coffee and milk. It was like they'd known each other for years, which of course they had, but Warrick hadn't seen her much since her father died. There was a lot of catching up to do.

The hour neared five and Catherine sent her daughter to work on homework. She was tired of sub-par grades. Warrick nearly fainted when he saw the time.

"Jeez, it's late. I've got some things to take care of at home before shift tonight. I'm sure you do too."

She nodded and helped him find his shirt in the blanket pile. "Thank you, so much, for coming over yesterday. Lindsey really appreciates it. I really appreciate it. We really appreciate it. You're a life saver."

He gave her a quick hug. "It's no problem at all. She's a good kid and I like spending time with her. You've raised a good one, Cath."

"Thanks, Warrick, really." He tugged his shirt over his head and she walked him to the door.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then."

"Yeah, you will." She watched him walk to his car. He waved just before pulling out of the driveway.

As she closed the door on a perfect day, she realized something. There hadn't been one mention of Lindsey's hand the entire time. She went down the hallway to her daughter's room and pushed open the door, only to find Lindsey on the phone.

"Lindsey Willows, I believe I told you to do your homework."

"Yeah," her daughter whined, "but it's Lexi. She's in Texas, you know, so I rarely get to talk to her."

Catherine walked over and plucked the phone from her hand. "Hi Lexi…I'm fine, how are you?...That's good…We miss you too….Say hello to your mom and dad…Buh-bye." She pushed the off button on the phone. "There. Now you can do your homework." She turned to leave and remembered her original reason for coming to the room. "Hey, kid, let me see the hand."

Lindsey gave an eye roll and stuck it out to her mom. "It's fine, Mother! It doesn't hurt unless I whack it on something. It's no big deal."

"Quit your whining. It was obviously a big deal yesterday if you called Warrick over. He doesn't leave work for just anybody."

"I know. I am severely grateful that I belong to you. Thus, he comes to my rescue. Maybe I'll send him a card…with a plea to give us that recipe. Was that good or what?"

"I'm glad you're okay, Linds, but I'm also a little disappointed. You didn't try very hard to get a hold of me, did you?"

"Greg said you were busy enough that if I bugged you you'd be mad at me. I didn't want to make you mad. So I called Warrick. I would've called Lexi, but she was out of town. She couldn't very well fly over from Texas now, could she?"

Catherine sighed. "Okay, but let's keep these injuries to a minimum alright?"

"Fine. I'll try not to slam my hand in doors anymore. As if I did it on purpose."

"I'm getting ready for work. You do your homework. Now!" She left.

Lindsey stared at the closed door, grinning madly. She glanced down at her slightly bruised hand. Yep, she told herself, it was totally worth it.

* * *

Warrick entered his home with a nervous smile. He was in trouble. One doesn't spend the night at someone else's house and not be in trouble. Tina wasn't waiting for him in the living room, but she was in the bedroom. A scowl was written across her face.

"Where have you been?" she asked angrily.

"Boy," he said as he reached for a pair of clean jeans in a drawer, "you really like to start a conversation off with that, don't you?"

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not completely sure, but I believe I do my best on this story when I write it after midnight. This is probably my favorite chapter. What are your thoughts? 


	8. Chapter 8

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 8

"Well I think our present situations have merited it, don't you?" Tina said placing her hands on her hips.

"I didn't think you wanted me here. I spent the last two nights on a couch," Warrick shot back.

"Yeah, and the first time that was what should have happened. I thought we were going to talk yesterday, but obviously you had other plans."

"No, not really, but something came up. I had to go over to Catherine's and play doctor." He dropped the jeans and clenched his jaw, aware of how bad that sounded.

Tina's hands flew to her mouth and she began to shake with rage. "You—and Catherine? I always suspected, but didn't really think you were that stupid."

"Tina, baby, that came out wrong. Catherine's daughter Lindsey called and said that she was hurt. I went over there to take care of her hand while Catherine worked. By the time she got home, Lindsey was asleep on my lap and I didn't want to move her. I slept on the couch, made sure everyone was okay, and came home."

"That's an impressive story," she said moving her hands back to her hips. "I'm almost inclined to believe it, but it doesn't take an overnight stay to cure a hand injury. I'm a nurse and not stupid. Well, obviously I was to get involved with you."

"Tina, don't say that. I've been taking care of Lindsey for as long as I've worked at the lab. She looks up to me and needed me last night. I went for Lindsey, not Catherine."

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he responded and pulled her into a hug.

After the embrace ended, he grabbed the jeans from the floor and walked to the bathroom to change. Tina headed to the kitchen and began cooking. She was mixing ingredients in a ceramic bowl when a disgusted looking Warrick traipsed in, jeans sagging at his ankles. She looked up and suppressed a giggle.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

He bent over to pull the pants up and a bolt of fear lit her eyes.

"Why don't you tell me?" he answered, struggling to put the button through the hole. "These aren't my jeans."

A spoon fell and clattered in the bowl. Tina held her stance behind the counter, afraid to go any closer. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her elbows. "Sure they are, honey," she said and kept her gaze at the picture of flowers behind his head. "You've just gained a little weight."

"See, that's what I thought too, at first, but the investigator in me reared its head, so I stepped onto that scale you have hidden in the closet. And wouldn't you know, I'm the same weight I've been for awhile now. There's no reason my pants shouldn't fit. Then, knowing how scales are usually worthless, I went to my drawer and picked out another pair which fit great. These aren't my pants." His voice rose and his balled fists showed signs of extreme tension.

Beads of sweat graced her forehead and her hands rose slightly. "Warrick, I can explain," she said choking on her words.

"Oh, can you? I'd really like to hear the story with this one."

* * *

Catherine sat her purse down at the base of her locker. Her conversation with Gil hadn't gone smoothly, but she believed she had worked things out in the end. She had just finished fixing her hair when she heard the familiar laugh of her female co-worker.

Sara entered the locker room shortly followed by Nick.

"I just wish I could have seen my father's face when he realized they were being spied on," he said and Sara laughed again.

Catherine smiled at her friends. "You two have a good time?" she asked.

Sara looked up at Nick. "Yeah, I think we did. The good news is I've been accepted. The bad, we'll never know if that changes because the Stokes Family has to change its meeting system."

"Oh, Cath," Nick started, "we heard you had a good time while we were away."

Catherine chuckled and looked at Sara, puzzled. The brunette shrugged her shoulders and Nick stepped forward.

He poked Catherine in the shoulder as he said, "Word on the street is Warrick stayed the night at your house all day, even while he slept." He grinned as she dropped her jacket onto the linoleum.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

He moved to his own locker and spun the metal dial. "Our kids are friends and friends talk."

Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. "Lexi didn't happen to tell you why he was there did she?"

"She gave us her idea, but we don't really believe her," Sara stated. "Why don't you fill us in?"

The strawberry-blonde sighed again, sat down, and began telling them the story of Lindsey getting her hand shut in a door and of her rescuer. Sara and Nick said nothing, but glanced at each other during several intervals of the story.

The three got ready for work and exited the room together. They were halfway down the hall when Nick held up his hands to stop them.

"Hmm," he said rubbing his chin, "I guess Lexi was right."

Sara laughed and slugged him in the arm. The pair walked off leaving Catherine with yet another confounded look.

Warrick arrived shortly before Grissom handed out assignments looking extremely ticked off. He made only grunts of acknowledgement and his first statement to Catherine after finding that they were paired together was "I'll drive."

Sensing his bitterness she tossed him the keys and climbed into the passenger seat. He had driven a third of the way to their destination before she spoke up.

"Hey, Rick, what's bugging you?" she asked gingerly.

"They're not my jeans," he said.

She opened her mouth to respond, but had no clue what to say.

"In the back. They're not mine, but they were in my drawer. I figured, hey, maybe she just made a mistake with the sizes, but I was wrong."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Return them to their rightful owner. As for my marriage, it's over. I don't want to be you, Cath."

"Me?" she said wrinkling a brow.

"You put up with a cheating spouse for so long. I know a lot of it was because of Lindsey, and I'm just glad we don't have a kid to fight over."

Catherine remained silent, but nodded slightly.

"You know," he said, "she had the gall to accuse me of cheating on her about five minutes before I found out."

She laughed softly. "You a cheater? With whom?"

"You."

Her laughing ceased and she focused her mind on the road before her. She knew what it led to—death and destruction. But here she sat, in the midst of a man from a destroyed marriage, a marriage which she may have inadvertently helped to end.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay on this. I just wasn't able to write anything worthwhile. I hope this is okay. 


	9. Chapter 9

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 9

The next evening, Catherine was ready for any distraction from the battle raging in her mind. She found it in the stressed face of Nick. It was apparent to her that he and Sara had had some sort of a blow-out. She took it upon herself to play peacemaker and get in the middle.

She went into the locker room just a moment after he did. He was sitting on the bench, looking upset with himself. She sat next to him.

"Hey, Nicky, how is everything?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Everything is fine." He smiled weakly.

"You must be terrible at poker. I could tell right away that you are lying. Why don't you tell me what the real problem is?"

"Cath, sorry, but I don't think you'd understand."

"Nick, Nick, I can tell that it is something between you and Sara. This means it's girl trouble for you. I'm a girl and I'm lending you my ears and my insight. Use them." She smiled sympathetically.

"Alright. I was sitting on the couch with Sara this afternoon. We were eating spaghetti and drinking beer," he said slowly.

"Uh oh," said Catherine at the mention of alcohol.

"'Uh oh' is right. I started talking about her and how Greg loves you and then I kissed her."

"We'll get to Greg later, but right now, I have to ask you what on earth you were thinking when you kissed her."

"I don't think I was thinking."

"That's a pretty safe bet. How did she react?" Catherine inquired.

"She got up and went to her room. We took separate cars here and I haven't spoken to her since."

"Okay, Nick, it's time to hit on the big thing. Are you sorry you kissed her?"

"Not exactly. I'm sorrier for how I did it. I really do like her."

"Well, good for you. You've got a lot in common, especially with the kid. Now, give her a little time to sort her own feelings out, but you've got to talk to her eventually. Make sure you're careful about office politics though. Grissom up your ass is the last thing you need."

"No kidding."

She rubbed his shoulder and got up to leave. She reached the doorway and held up a finger. "One second. What was the whole thing about Greg loving me?"

* * *

Catherine was chuckling as she exited the locker room, leaving Nick to think of ways to repair his slip up with Sara. She knew the two of them were going to have some issues, especially since Nick hadn't run away from the idea of being a father to Lexi.

She turned the corner to head to the lobby and ran into Warrick. He grabbed a hold of her arm to keep her from falling.

"Sorry, Cath, I didn't see you."

"That's okay; I was in too much of a hurry." She smiled uncomfortably and stared at the floor. She bit her lower lip and waited for him to walk around her.

"Catherine is something up?" he asked concernedly.

"Not really. I just wanted to say that I'm, well," she blew out a gust of air, "I'm sorry."

He wrinkled his face and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry for what?"

She looked him in the eye. "For ruining your marriage."

He leaned his head against the wall and bent his knee. "What makes you think you did that?"

She shoved her hands into her pockets. "You were at my house overnight and she thought you were cheating."

"I was there for Lindsey. You and I didn't do anything. That's not what broke up my marriage. Tina did cheat on me. It had nothing to do with you."

She sighed. "But I still feel so guilty."

"Why? You have no reason to be guilty."

"Because," she said walking away slowly, "I don't feel so sad about it."

Warrick stayed against the wall and felt as if another load of bricks had been dumped on his back. He rubbed a hand over his chin and felt the slight growth of stubble.

* * *

The days continued on. Warrick filed for divorce and was less disappointed than he thought he should be. Tina had moved out and his home was back to the classic bachelor pad. He sat on the floor of his attic digging through boxes he had put away when he had gotten married.

In a back corner he found one labeled "photos" and used a knife to pry the tape off. Tearing open the flaps, he smiled as soon as he saw the first frame. A six-year-old blonde sat on his lap in the lab. They were playing computer games. He knew right away that the girl was Lindsey. It was one of the many times she had come to the lab after being dropped off by her father. Eddie had always had a way of springing the girl on Catherine in the middle of an important case. Warrick was always happy to step in.

There were a couple of shots of lab shindigs and more photos of Lindsey. At the bottom of the box he found a little wooden chest. As his fingers traced the designs in the carvings he remembered what lay inside.

He lifted the lid and pulled out the stray pictures. All the snapshots were from the same day, almost nine years ago. Lindsey had come to the lab for her annual birthday party. She was turning five and the guys and Catherine had gotten her some special presents. The DNA tech before Greg had taken the pictures. Warrick, Catherine, and Lindsey sat at the break room table enjoying cake. Grissom and Nick stood off to the side arguing over who had bought the better gift. He grinned widely at the last picture. Catherine stood behind him mashing a piece of cake in his face. Lindsey was giggling hysterically.

He closed his eyes remembering his conversation with Catherine when he helped her to clean up.

"_You were a big help tonight, you know," she said wiping a stray hair from her eyes._

"_Anything for my favorite kid." He tossed his head back and laughed as he noticed Lindsey shoving a straw up her nose._

"_She loves you a lot. I've lost count of all the times she's asked to see her Warrick. Of course, when she says it, it sounds more like Wawick, but you get the point."_

"_She's a good kid. Takes after her mother, of course." He patted her on the arm._

"_Thanks. And not just for the comment. Thanks for everything. We'd be lost without you." As soon as she'd said it, Lindsey had gotten a cabinet open and spilled several boxes of food on the floor. Catherine rushed over to clean it up._

"_Anytime," Warrick said to himself and watched the scene unfold._

The ringing of his cell-phone brought him back to the present. "Brown. Hey, Grissom. Yeah, I can come in. Alright, I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and stared down at the photos in his lap. He placed the snapshots back into the chest. He selected a few frames displaying lab pictures and closed the box back up. With a final glance at the cardboard cube, he shut off the light and headed downstairs to get ready to go back to work.

* * *

**A/N: **The first bit of dialogue is taken directly from Headliner chapter 20. I'm going to be out of town for the next few days, but I'll be writing on the road, so I'll update as soon as I get back. Let me know what you thought. Thanks. 


	10. Chapter 10

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 10

Lindsey Willows and Alexis Sidle were lying on the couch with their feet up in the air. The adults were at work and the kids were starved of entertainment. Lindsey grabbed a bottle of bubbles from the coffee table and tried to blow them. She managed to get a few out, but most of the soap just dripped onto her face.

"So, it worked, huh? Everything you wanted to happen did," Lindsey said and sighed.

"Oh yeah. It was so cool. I mean, look at me. I'm sixteen years old and my parents are together. At first I just wanted to get to know who my father was, but now I've got both of them. It's the best feeling in the world," Lexi gushed.

"You're lucky. You pull one stunt and everything works out. Me, I'm practically at my wit's end and I've got nothing to show for it."

"I don't want to be Lexi the Gossip Wagon, but that's not entirely true." She smiled at her younger friend.

Lindsey rolled off the couch. "What do you mean?"

She grinned brighter. "Well, you know how my dad and Warrick are friends? According to him, Warrick is filing for divorce."

Lindsey's face fell slightly. "Wait, that's not because of something I did, is it? I know that's kind of what I wanted, but he must feel bad and that wasn't my goal."

"Dad said his wife cheated on him so he got out."

The young girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad it's not my fault." She smiled a little. "Hey, this makes my job easier, doesn't it?"

* * *

Warrick sat around the table waiting for his assignment, stealing glances at Catherine whenever he could. He had been unable to get the pictures of her and their earlier conversation about his divorce out of his head. He hoped to be paired with her so they could talk, but he could tell she was avoiding him.

Grissom walked in carrying an experiment that he placed in the fridge. Sara cringed at the smell of it. Nick shook his head and Catherine rolled her eyes. Grissom looked back at their faces, but seemed to notice nothing out of the ordinary.

"Okay, gang," he said, "we've got a busy night tonight. Catherine, you've got a murder at the Tangiers. You're solo. Warrick and Greg, B&E off Industrial. Sara, Nick, you're with me and the fridge." Sara cringed again and Nick chuckled.

Warrick stood up. This was the second straight week without working with Catherine. _She must've said something to Grissom, _he thought. He followed Greg out the door.

Catherine drove in silence to her scene. She worked the same way, but found herself getting distracted every so often. It got to be so bad that she excused herself and stepped outside for a breather.

_This is crazy, _she thought. _Grissom's going to think something's up other than my desire to work solo eventually. I don't know what I'd tell him. Heck, I don't know what I'd tell anyone if they asked me. I'm going to have to suck it up and deal with this little mess I've made. _She looked back to her crime scene. _I'll deal with it right after I finish this case.

* * *

_

Greg sashayed out of the break room the next night leaving behind a somewhat stunned Nick and Sara. He saw Catherine down the hall and took a step back. He needed to talk to her and fast. He took one bite of the apple and threw it in a trash can.

"Catherine!" he called and the woman paused and turned around, a stack of results in her hands.

"What do you need, Greg? I'm kind of busy here."

"It's a funny story, really. See, I've figured out that Nick and Sara are seeing each other. They didn't tell anyone so I confronted them about it. And I may have made a comment about you."

She raised her eyebrows. "May have?"

He pursed his lips. "Okay, I definitely made one, but it was just part of my show." He looked around and saw Sara standing in the door of the break room, staring his direction.

Catherine put all of her results in one hand and placed the other on her hip. "What exactly did you say, Greg?"

"Oh, just that I was so sad because I thought Sara loved me and that I'd have to go back to sleeping with you." He closed his eyes and waited for her to explode.

"Have to?"

"Hey, it's not a bad thing," he said opening his eyes and winking at her.

Catherine laughed heartily and walked off to continue her case.

She wrapped it up at the end of another double. It was a classic case of spouse killing cheating spouse. She was glad to be finished, but also a little nervous. She remembered her earlier promise to herself to talk to Warrick. Luckily he was nowhere to be found. She headed into the locker room to grab her things and saw Nick give Sara a kiss.

"Aww, you two look really nice together," she said.

They spun around to look at their colleague. "Thanks Cath. We didn't really want it out this soon, but Alexis and Greg had other plans," Sara mentioned.

"I figured he had an accomplice in all this. Well, congratulations guys. I've got to get home to my kid. She's been especially good lately and I think she wants something," said Catherine.

"Bye, Cath," Nick said.

"Yeah, see you later," said Sara.

"Bye, guys," Catherine responded and went out the door.

As she pulled out of the lab parking lot she noticed Warrick's Denali rolling in. She tossed him a quick wave and he returned it. She turned the corner and proceeded down the road to her house.

Catherine wheeled the car into her driveway and gazed around her home. The grass had been neatly mowed and the porch furniture was dusted. Something was definitely up. If she knew her kid, she knew that Lindsey never did extra housework unless she wanted something in return. Catherine grabbed the mail from the mailbox and made her way into an extra-clean house.

* * *

**A/N: **I believe this was mostly just a filler chapter. You know the drill. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own CSI, Full House, or the cell-phone my driver's ed teacher likes to make demonstrations with. I do, however, own Lexi and just about anything Lindsey says.

**Author's note: **Thanks so much for all of your reviews. Extra kudos to die-hard Warrick/Catherine fans and anyone who thinks adding Tina to the show was a terrible thing to put Warrick through. :)

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 11

As it turned out, Lindsey did indeed want something. As soon as her mother was out of the house she had cleaned it from top to bottom. It was a lot of hard work and her muscles ached, but she hoped everything would turn out good. She needed this new approach to getting her mother with Warrick, an approach that wouldn't cause her to slam her hand in any more doors.

Her recent enlightenment from Lexi had given the wheels in her mind enough grease to start turning again. While she was honestly sad that Warrick had to go through something as difficult as divorce, she was glad he was finally available for her mother to pursue.

Lindsey heard the key in the lock and tried her best to ignore the dull fatigue that was nagging at her as she sat nonchalantly in the overstuffed arm chair in the living room. Catherine walked in and nearly fainted at the neatness of the house. It smelled of cleaners, and shone like light bouncing off a bald head.

She set her purse down on the table next to the coat rack stepped forward. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floors that lined the entry. She didn't say a word to her daughter, but walked around the entire house inspecting it. The largest surprise came from Lindsey's room. The girl had cleaned her room from top to bottom. Catherine was shocked to actually see the whole carpet. There were three bags shoved up against her twin bed labeled 'give away.'

She turned around and made her way back to the living room. Lindsey was still in the chair, grinning.

"Okay, Lindsey," Catherine said, "what do you want?"

Lindsey threw her hands in the air and put her face into a mock frown. "I can't believe you, Mother. I spend all day cleaning your house and I don't even get a thanks. You're not very appreciative, you know that? And to automatically think I want something. What kind of kid cleans only so they can get something?"

Catherine arched her brows and smiled slightly. "My kid."

Lindsey giggled. "Okay, you're right, but that's beside the point."

Catherine sat in the couch and kicked her feet up on the coffee table. "Thank you for cleaning, Linds. Now tell me what you want."

"I want to have a party."

"A party? You want me to let you have a party here?"

"Yep."

"I don't think so," said Catherine.

"Why not?" her daughter questioned.

"Because I can hardly handle you, let alone more teenagers. It would be suicide and I'm perfectly happy still living."

"Then you're in luck, because I've got just the solution."

Catherine smirked. "Oh yeah, and what would that be?"

Lindsey leaned in close to her mother, her eyes twinkling. "Have someone else come over and help you watch us. But it's not like we're going to burn the house down or anything. It's just a party."

"Says the girl whose last party got us kicked out of the restaurant."

"I had absolutely no part in that."

"No? Who was the one that threw the mashed potatoes at me?"

"Oh yeah, that was me, wasn't it?"

The older woman nodded.

"Well, that was awhile ago. I promise that we'll behave. You let me do this and I'll never ask for anything ever again." Lindsey sat on her knees, begging.

"I highly doubt that."

"I know, but it's the thought that counts, right?" Lindsey made her best pouty face and stared at her mother.

Catherine heaved a large sigh. "Alright, you can have your party, but I get to pick the other chaperone."

"You got it!" Lindsey jumped up. "I've got to make a few calls, but you can ask someone as soon as I'm done."

"Oh I can? Thanks so much for your permission."

"You're welcome." The girl grabbed the phone from its holder in the kitchen and raced to her bedroom. She quickly dialed the number for the Sidle-Stokes home.

"Hello?" Nick asked.

"Hi. Can I speak to Lexi, please?"

"Sure. Hold on a sec."

"This is Lexi."

"Hi, Lex; it's Lindsey. I need to ask you a major favor."

"Shoot," the brunette responded.

"Okay, I got my mom to agree to let me have a party. She's going to invite someone else to be the chaperone. You're welcome to come and everything, but here's what I need you to do. My mom might call your parents for help. Tell them they can't. I know that they have a pretty good idea what I'm up to, but just make sure they don't say yes to her."

"You got it. This should be interesting. Hey, maybe you should just call Warrick and ask him yourself."

Lindsey squinted her eyes and pictured her party. "I'll put the notion in his head, but Mom said she gets to pick. Thanks, Lexi."

"No problem."

The girls hung up and Lindsey began to flip through her kitty-patterned address book. She tapped her finger on Warrick's number and pressed the seven digits.

"Hello?" mumbled a voice.

"Did I wake you up, Warrick? I'm so sorry."

Warrick rubbed a hand against his face. "Lindsey, is that you?"

"The one and only." She grinned.

"What can I do for you?"

"It seems kind of silly that I'm calling, especially since you were asleep, but I just noticed that you haven't come over and hung out in like two weeks."

"I," he paused. He doubted Catherine had told Lindsey about the tension at work. "I've been busy."

"The life of a CSI. I completely understand. Come see me sometime soon, though, okay?"

He pulled his tired face into a smile. He'd never be able to explain the effect this little blonde person had on him. "You got it, kiddo."

Lindsey told Warrick to sleep well and then pushed the off button. She strolled back to the living room and found her mother snoring slightly on the couch. She shook Catherine's shoulders and the woman snapped awake.

Lindsey handed her the phone. "Here. I believe you had a call to make."

Catherine yawned. "Linds, I'll do it in the morning. Better yet, I'll just ask him at work tomorrow."

"Him?" Lindsey raised her right brow.

"Or her," said Catherine. She patted her daughter on the top of the head and went to her bedroom.

Warrick thought the locker room was empty when he entered it the next night but he heard a groan coming from the back area. He placed his hand on his gun holster and took slow, quiet steps. He rushed forward when he saw that it was Catherine. She was struggling under the weight of a cardboard box. He grabbed it from her and she shook her arms.

"What do you have in here?" he asked. His muscles flexed from the strain.

"Old books. Grissom wanted them for an experiment.

"And he couldn't pick them up himself?"

"Apparently not."

He walked over and set the box on a bench. She thanked him and they began to get ready for work. Shift wasn't set to start for another half hour and they would be lucky to have five more minutes before someone else arrived. Warrick knew this was his chance to talk to her.

"Hey, Cath, are we cool?"

"Yeah. Of course." She smiled that Catherine smile that really let him know she was still hiding something.

"It feels like you've been avoiding me. To be honest, it feels like it did after I got married."

She turned away, another signature of hers. "I have been avoiding you." He was surprised by her sudden honesty. "I was embarrassed by what I said that day after you left my house. It was childish and unprofessional." She paused and he waited for her to continue. He knew there was more. "Do you remember what I said the day you told me you were married?"

"Yeah," he said. _How could I forget?_

"Well, the other week, that's what it all came from, you know.

"Hmm. I guess I can understand that. You have no reason to be embarrassed. If I was you I probably would have said the same thing."

She breathed out, relieved. Then she held up a finger. "Hey, are you busy next Saturday?"

"Not that I know of; why?"

"Lindsey wants to have a party and I said she could if she let me pick another chaperone. I figure you're the best choice. She'll be least embarrassed if you're there."

"I'm there for you, babe," he said echoing an old Full House episode he'd seen the night before.

* * *

**A/N2: **I fixed a few "your"/"you're" mistakes, but it's late, so if there are any more, please forgive me. I'm beta-less. Thanks much, and as always, let me know what you thought. 


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **I know this took forever and I'm sorry. I had a lot going on with driver's ed and trying not to kill anyone. I had this finished yesterday, but the website wouldn't let me upload it. Here's chapter twelve.

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 12

Catherine walked into the lab carrying several evidence bags. She poked her head in a few rooms searching for Sara. They were supposed to go over the evidence together. She walked straight past the break room, but Sara was inside and jumped up to meet her.

"It's one a.m.; what took you so long?" the brunette asked.

"Las Vegas never sleeps, my friend; traffic was terrible." Catherine shifted the load in her arms and moved to continue down the hall.

"Have you heard from Nick lately?"

"No, but he's out getting a suspect for Grissom's case isn't he?"

Sara nodded, but something about it told Catherine that wasn't enough. She looked at her friend sympathetically.

"Sara, don't worry; these things sometimes take a long time. I'm sure he's fine. We would've heard if he wasn't."

"You're right. I don't know what my problem is."

"Sure you do. You love him and the fact that you don't know where he is at this very moment shakes you to your bones. I know the feeling."

"Oh you do?" Sara said, suddenly taking interest in her colleague's personal life.

Catherine chuckled. "Yes, I do, but we're not discussing that now, are we?"

Sara looked like she was ready to address this statement, but Catherine stopped her.

"Come on; we have some evidence to deal with. Shift's starting to smell like a double and I really want to keep it from being a triple if you don't mind."

Catherine collapsed on the couch as soon as she made it home that morning. She had just dozed off when the shrill ringing of the kitchen phone woke her.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Oh, you were sleeping. Sorry."

"Lindsey? What are you doing calling me from school?"

"I just wanted to make sure you got a chaperone lined up. I'm passing out invitations."

Catherine rubbed her eyes. "And you couldn't wait until you got home from school?"

"No. You'd probably be asleep then."

"I was asleep now."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Just don't do it again. And yes, I do have someone."

"Who?" Lindsey braced herself for the answer, hoping it would be someone good.

"Warrick."

"Yes!" She quickly composed herself. "I mean, oh, that's cool. Nice choice, Mom."

"Thanks," said Catherine, "I'm going to go to sleep now, okay? Wake me when you get home."

"You got it."

They hung up the phones and went back to their respective lives.

Lindsey crept into her house quietly that afternoon. She had notes stuffed in her pockets from four of her six teachers complaining that she was too hyper that day. The girl planned on forging the signatures. She didn't want to risk Catherine taking away the party. Lindsey had a good reason for being hyper; her mother had picked the perfect person to be the chaperone for her party. Now she was one step closer to getting them together.

She walked lightly to the couch and gently shook her mother's shoulder. Catherine opened her eyes and saw her teenage daughter staring down at her.

"Hey there, how was the rest of school?"

"Oh, you know, same old, same old," Lindsey said shoving the notes deeper.

"Are your friends excited for your party?"

"Yeah. A few have already said they could come. Lexi's coming too."

Catherine brushed her fingers through her hair. "Just how many kids did you invite?"

"Five," Lindsey answered looking at the carpet.

Catherine caught the hesitation in her voice. "Five?"

"Okay, so it was ten."

She blinked quickly. She had thought Lindsey's answer was a little low, but she didn't think it was _that _low. "Ten?"

"Fine. You win. I invited twenty people."

Catherine jumped off the couch. "Twenty people? You expect me to handle twenty-one teenagers? Are you crazy?"

Lindsey smiled sheepishly. "Hey, it won't be just you. Warrick's coming too, remember. And Lexi's sixteen so I'm sure she'll be a help."

Catherine bit back a yell. Not surprisingly, the thought of twenty thirteen-year-olds with two adults and a sixteen-year-old for supervision didn't exactly comfort her. She walked toward her bedroom. Her hand grasped the molding and she turned back to face her daughter. "You better hope about half of those people can't come."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

By Friday it was official; fifteen of the twenty kids invited were allowed to come. The grave shift was in the midst of a double and Catherine nearly keeled over when Lindsey called her with the news. After pushing the phone off, she went in search of Warrick.

He was in the layout room, mulling over some new information in a case. He looked up at the sound of her heels. "Hey, Cath." He grinned, but it faltered when he saw her pained expression. "What's up?"

"You're still available for the party tomorrow, aren't you?"

"You bet. What time do you need me?"

"Five-thirty is when it starts, but you can come earlier if you like."

"Sure," he said.

"There's more."

"Are you okay? You're really starting to worry me."

"I just want you to know that when I asked you to do this I had absolutely no idea how many kids Lindsey was going to invite."

He placed his left hand on the table. "And how many did she invite?"

"Twenty."

His hand slipped and he stumbled, banging his elbow on the glass. He gripped it tenderly.

Catherine rushed over. "Five of them can't go, so it's really only sixteen kids we've got to worry about. And I've been assured Lexi will be helping us."

"They're going to kill us," said Warrick.

"I know. Listen, if you don't want to do it, I understand. She shouldn't have invited that many people."

Warrick held up a hand to stop her. "Cath, it's okay. I said I'd be there and I will. Look at the business we're in. If we can handle grown men with guns, I think we can handle a bunch of teenagers."

"I hope you're right," she said.

He smiled as he watched her go. Then he turned back to his evidence, thinking about what he could have possibly gotten himself into.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N2: **It's not that much, but I wanted to get something done. I have chapter thirteen all done and will post it tomorrow. That one is a good one. Let me know what you thought.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **As promised, here is chapter thirteen. It's one of my favorites. I have no idea when I'll have chapter fourteen up because school is starting and I have lots to do. Enjoy, though, and please review.

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 13

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Catherine asked the man standing next to her kitchen counter.

Warrick looked at her and frowned. "What?"

"Do you think I'm crazy?" she repeated.

He shook his head. "What?"

"Do you think I'm crazy?" she yelled.

"Of course not," he shouted back. He pointed to the horde of teenage girls in the living room. "They're the ones that are crazy. That music is way too loud."

"Go tell them to turn it down. It's time for them to eat anyway."

"I'd rather not go in there. Every time I do they start whispering. They make me remember high school. Those were not good days."

"Ah, yes," she said remembering an old conversation.

"But yours were, right? You got what you wanted anyway. Why don't you go yell at them."

She opened her mouth and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Fine. You set the tables then."

"You got it, ma'am," he said and saluted her.

She pushed her way through the giggling girls and was relieved when she finally reached the stereo. With a flick of her fingers the volume went down immensely. A large groan arose from the crowd. She waved the noise away.

"Listen up, everyone, we have neighbors, and despite what you may think, they are not all into your kind of music. Can we please give them some peace and quiet at least while you eat?"

The disappointed looks faded away at the mention of food. She instructed Lindsey to lead the gang to the kitchen and watched as her living room emptied. The floor was littered with plastic cups and chip crumbs.

Warrick smiled as the group came towards him. He held up his hands and they quieted. "Okay, kids, we have a big selection for you today. The theme of this party is make-your-own-sandwich, so get ready. The meat is on your left, cheese and lettuce are on the right, and condiments are in the center. Wait until I get out of the way and dig in." He stepped around the teenagers and watched in amazement as they rushed forward to devour the food.

Catherine was nowhere in sight and he assumed she had gone out front. He opened the front door and sixteen heads turned his direction. They looked away once they realized it was just him. He found her seated on the bench, a glass of soda in her hand.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all," she said and proceeded to scoot over.

"Is it safe to sit here and let them be in your house all alone?"

"Probably not, but I was beginning to get a headache."

"I know the feeling," he mentioned.

"Oh, I have some aspirin inside if you need it." She rose from her seat, but he pulled her back down.

"It's okay; I'm fine. It's quieter out here."

"Definitely," she said and took a sip of her drink. "You don't know how badly I wish this had alcohol in it."

He chuckled. "You should have told me earlier; I would have brought you something."

She shook her head. "No, I need to be all together when the kids' parents get here."

"Good point." They sat in silence for a few moments and watched as the sun began its descent. "You were very brave to have this party," he said.

"Either that or very stupid."

He smiled. "No, I think brave. You're never stupid."

"Lindsey wanted it, and she did clean the house, so I gave in. At least this way she's with her friends and I can be there to make sure she's not doing anything wrong."

Warrick began to get worried. "She's not in trouble, is she?"

"No more than usual. She's a teenager, I understand that, and look who she's got for a mother. With everything that's happened in her life it's a wonder she's okay at all."

"There's nothing wrong with you as a mother."

"I know. I just meant, you know, look at my past. I wasn't exactly a goody-goody when I was growing up. And I'm not home all that much because of work."

"I know it's difficult, but you're doing something not many of the rest of us have. None of the rest of us have kids, which is probably for the best, and we're not perfect. You've done something remarkable. Don't put yourself down for that."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Warrick, I think you'd make a great dad. Look what you've done for Lindsey." She turned to face him.

Their eyes locked and the dull roar of noise inside the house seemed to drift away. He lifted a hand and ran his finger down the side of her face. She closed her eyes, pleased at the subtle touch. He leaned in closer.

There was a loud crash and a series of giggles from the house. Outside, the two sat back at the intrusion. Catherine drank her watered-down pop and stared firmly at the ground. She suddenly felt like she was in her daughter's shoes and had just been interrupted from…well, to be honest, she wasn't sure just what was going to happen.

Lindsey was in very different shoes at the moment. She was scolding herself silently for allowing most of the party-pack to peer out the window with her. They all had watched intently at Catherine and Warrick's interactions. All was going well until the near-kiss. Ten girls leaned forward to get a better look. One who had not been gazing saw that the pack had suddenly become very interesting and went forward to check it out. She tripped over a stray sweatshirt and fell into the group. Everyone fell over, taking the coat rack with them.

Many of them laughed, but Lindsey was unhappy. She had hoped for that almost-moment for so long and to see it ruined was utterly disappointing. She sulked away to pick up the coat stand while the others went off to blast the radio.

Warrick stood up. "I'll go see what that was," he said.

Catherine nodded at his retreating figure. She finished her drink and grimaced at the lack of taste. She waited a few more minutes and got up herself to go in the house. She blinked as the loud music blasted her ears and went to the kitchen where Lexi was busying herself with the dishes.

"You don't have to do that," she told the teen.

"I know, but I wanted to. Besides, they're gossiping and I don't know any of the people they're talking about."

Catherine patted her shoulder. "That's sweet of you." She stepped aside and looked around the room.

Lexi smiled over the suds in the sink. "He's out back," she said.

If Catherine was shocked that the girl knew who she was looking for, she didn't show it. She slid open the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck. He was carrying around a large trash bag and cleaning up the cluttered grass.

"What did they do, throw everything at each other?" he asked.

She jumped a little at the sound of his voice. "It wouldn't surprise me. Most of Lindsey's parties have been accompanied by a food fight."

"There's another bag over there if you want to help."

"Sure," she responded and headed to the grass.

After a few moments he stood straight up. "What are we going to do, Catherine?"

"About what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Us."

"Us?"

"Come on," he began, "there's something going on here and you can't tell me you don't see it. How long have we ignored it? I don't want to do that forever."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say something. It doesn't matter what."

She took a deep breath. "I can't pretend that I never thought about it."

"About what?"

"About the possibility of you and me. And you know as well as I do that we get along pretty good."

"We're like the second Nick and Sara."

She stopped. "I wasn't going that far ahead."

"Sorry. You're right; we mesh well. We always have."

"And I've lost count of all the times you've rescued me."

He tied a knot on the bag and set it down on the grass. "I'm always happy to do it."

She followed suit. "Thank you for that. I don't know how I would have made it through all of this. Really, everything you've done for me."

He took a few steps forward and embraced her. "Anything for you, darling."

She looked up into his eyes and felt a similar moment from earlier come on. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her cheek. He brushed it away with his finger. His eyes lingered on her lips.

At that instant, three blonde girls fell through the sliding screen door onto the porch. Lindsey and two of her friends lied sprawled on the wood, nursing bumped knees and elbows.

Catherine and Warrick jumped apart, but not before many of the kids broke out in giggles.

They stayed separated the rest of the night. Warrick left quickly, as soon as the house had been cleaned.

Catherine, Lindsey, and Alexis stood in the living room, basking in the cleanliness.

"It's hard to believe that an hour ago this place looked like a bachelor pad," Lexi said.

"No kidding. Thanks so much for your help, sweetheart," Catherine said.

"No problem." Lights flashed in the windows. "That'll be my mom. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye."

"Bye," said Lindsey. She gave her mother a hug. "Thanks so much for letting me have this party. It was a lot of fun."

"I'm glad," said Catherine, "but be warned, the money for that screen is coming out of your savings account."

Lindsey looked like she wanted to protest, but decided against it. She turned around and walked to her room. She plopped down on her bed and threw her feet onto the wall.

"Twice," she said, "twice they almost kissed and my stupid friends had to ruin it." She sighed. "Okay, next time I leave my friends out of it."

Catherine pulled a nightgown out of her drawers and took the rubber band out of her hair. "Twice," she said, "What being around teenagers can do to you."

**TBC...**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **After weeks of agonizing over AP history homework and whether or not I was going to the Homecoming dance, I finally had a few spare moments to write this. Thanks so much for your patience.

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 14

By all accounts, the party had been a hit. Everyone had fun and no one was injured (except the screen and coat rack, but those were just things and very replaceable).

It took Lindsey a couple of days to realize the full extent of her success. She was so sure that by interrupting the "almost-kisses" she had destroyed any chance of a future. The Monday afternoon after the party she entered a quiet home. Her backpack thudded on the floor and she was reminded of her pounds of homework. She pulled a stick of string cheese from the drawer in the fridge and hopped up onto one of the barstools that lined the kitchen counter.

Partway through her snack, Lindsey heard mumbled sounds from across the house. She couldn't remember leaving her radio on, so she went to investigate. The door to her bedroom was open a crack and the bedside light was on. She pushed on the handle and it swung open to reveal an empty room. She checked her radio, but it was not emitting any sound.

She paused for a moment to listen for the mumblings again. When they presented themselves, she knew the sound was coming from her mother's room. The door was shut and she twisted the knob slowly, so as not to make too much noise.

Catherine was curled up in a ball of blankets, her head resting on a bare mattress. Lindsey marveled at the fact that the pillows laid haphazardly below the foot of the bed as if they had been flung. The room remained silent for a time and the girl was ready to give up and call herself crazy when Catherine began to speak. She was still asleep, Lindsey made sure of this by waving her hands in front of her mother's face, but talking nonetheless.

The teen leaned closer to get a better grasp of what the redhead was saying. She could only pick out a few distinct words, but they were enough to cause the blonde to break out in a smile. Lindsey let out a small giggle and Catherine awoke.

"Hey, honey, how long have you been here?"

"Not long. I just wanted to let you know that I'm home."

Catherine sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, thank you."

"No problem," Lindsey responded. She turned to go out of the room and grinned madly to herself. Amongst all of her ramblings, Catherine had muttered Warrick's name not once, not even twice, but three times.

Monday evening, after making sure Lindsey had dinner and finished her homework, Catherine stepped between the automatic doors at the Las Vegas crime lab. She collected her messages from Judy at the counter and walked to Grissom's office.

She pushed the door open. "Sorry I'm late. I had…" she trailed off. The office was completely empty.

She made her way into the break room and found no one there but Sara. The brunette sat relaxed in a chair drinking a cup of steaming coffee.

"Where is everyone?" Catherine asked.

"Big case. Triple murder on the strip. Griss wanted just about everyone there," Sara replied.

"And why are you here?"

"Waiting for you," Catherine raised her eyebrows, "and waiting for evidence."

"So we wait," Catherine said sitting in an adjacent chair.

"We wait," Sara agreed.

The hours wore on in a lull, but not without Sara calling Nick several times to make sure everything was alright. During one such call, Catherine gave in to the urge to call someone herself…Warrick.

The phone rang three, four, five times before reaching his answering machine. She debated leaving a message and resigned not to. She waited until Sara hung up to shove a burrito into the microwave.

"How's the case going?" she asked the younger CSI.

"They've got truckfulls of evidence and will head this way as soon as Warrick gets back."

The microwave dinged, but Catherine didn't hear it. "Where did he go?"

Sara heard the worry behind her friend's words and smiled sympathetically. "Apparently they were canvassing the area when a guy took off running. Nick and Warrick chased after him, but Nick lost them after six blocks."

Catherine nodded and began to pace. Sara was sure that if the floor had been made of dirt, Catherine's heels would've dug a drench. Sara watched and realization swept over her face.

So, she thought, this is what Catherine meant when she said she knew how I felt waiting for Nick.

From that moment on, Sara had a whole new understanding of her friend.

Both girls had dozed off before the males returned. They stepped in quietly, so as not to wake the female CSIs. Sara, who had become accustomed to the sound of Nick's shoes, popped her eyes open immediately. Nick looked ready to speak, but she placed a finger to her lips. The two stepped out into the hall.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

Nick pointed to the ground. "We're in the hall; you don't have to whisper."

"Sorry. How'd it go?"

"Warrick caught him and it was all we could do to keep him caught. Our man's going to be bruised in the morning. Hey, Sara, why did you call me so much? I had to turn my phone off."

She pursed her lips. "Sorry, but I needed to talk to you. Catherine loves Warrick."

Nick brought his hands to his face in mock surprise. "Gee, you don't say? How did I ever miss that?"

She slugged him in the arm. "Okay, fine, but did you know he loves her back?"

He grinned widely and she slugged him again.

"Why didn't you tell me if you knew this?"

He sat his hands on her shoulders. "You like solving puzzles, so I let you solve it."

She rubbed her hands together. "Thanks. So, what do we do about it?"

Nick wrinkled his forehead. "What do we do about what?"

"Catherine and Warrick. You know as well as I do that they are perfect for each other. From what Lexi says, they are pretty close themselves."

"Sara, we shouldn't meddle in our friends' lives. We're not teenagers."

"Fine. I'll just do it myself. Of course, I bet I'll have the girls to help me." And she strolled off without another word.

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**A/N2: **Let me know what you thought, please. I'll get the next one up as soon as I can, but I have no idea when that is.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Writing this was a serious motivator for me getting my history homework done. Sorry it took so long; I've been distracted. I'm very glad the new season is on now...the only disappointment so far is that they changed Lindsey. Well, enjoy.

* * *

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 15

"You want to do what?" Lexi asked her mother the next morning. Sara had come home unusually energized with a wild idea. To be frank, Lexi was a bit scared by it.

"You heard me," she said.

"Yeah, but I'm just surprised that you would think that way. It sounds so much like, well, me," Lexi stated.

"And you are a product of me. It makes sense that we would think alike." Sara placed her left hand on her hip and stared into her daughter's eyes.

Lexi hopped up onto the counter and stared back. On a normal day she would chalk up her mother's craziness to be the result of a mild hangover, but as she really wanted to help Catherine, Lexi was all for it. "Okay," she said plucking a grape from a ceramic bowl, "what's your plan?"

Sara opened her mouth to reply, but Nick walked in the door and rolled his eyes.

"Alexis, don't listen to your mother. She's crazy and wants to meddle in the lives of her co-workers. That's dangerous territory," he said.

Lexi jumped off the counter and hugged her mom. "Aww, Dad, I don't call it 'meddling;' I call it 'helping.'"

Nick shook his head and walked to the bedroom mumbling something that sounded very much like "Women."

* * *

Catherine entered her home only to find her daughter yammering away on the kitchen telephone. Not wanting to interrupt, the woman changed into more comfortable clothes before venturing to start a meal. Lindsey's back was turned and the girl seemed unaware of her mother's presence. Catherine cleared her throat to announce herself and Lindsey hushed at once. The teen turned around slowly and had the unmistakable impression of guilt on her face. She whispered a hurried goodbye, dropped the phone into its charger, and dashed to her room.

The CSI looked at the empty barstool for a moment. She crossed the tile floor and retrieved the phone. Pressing a few buttons, she identified the conversation as being with someone in the Sidle-Stokes household. She dialed the number and sat while the rings began. It didn't take long for someone to answer.

"Lindsey! My mom just told me more of the plan, so you have to come to my house tomorrow, okay?"

"Plan for what?" Catherine asked. She heard a slight gasp come across the line.

"Oh, hi, Catherine. Did you want to talk to my mom?" Lexi asked sheepishly.

"Do you want to tell me what this plan is you're talking about?"

"Not really."

"Then yes, I would love to talk to Sara."

"Hey, Cath, what can I do for you?" Sara asked.

"Our children are planning something," she said.

"When are they not?" the brunette chuckled.

"That's true, but this time they're involving you."

"Me?" At her house, Sara bit her lip as Lexi watched on, waiting for her to get them out of this mess.

"Yes, but that information was given up involuntarily."

"Well, Catherine, I don't know what to tell you. I have no idea what this plan is, but when I do, I'll let you know." She hung up without saying goodbye.

Catherine replaced the phone and began to cook scrambled eggs and bacon. Her only worry was that whatever this plan was, it was going to get Lindsey in trouble, trouble the teenager could not afford.

* * *

"Phew, that was close," Sara said and mocked wiping sweat from her brow. "Let's keep all the plotting done in person from now on, okay?"

"Deal," Lexi said shaking her hand.

Sara folded her arms across her chest. "Now I've just got to convince your father to help."

Lexi scoffed. "Good luck with that. If you need me, I'll be on the phone with Luke."

Sara pushed the door to the bedroom open and found Nick lounging on the bed watching an old baseball game. "I'll never understand the intrigue of watching a game that's already happened."

He sat up. "And I'll never understand the need for girls to take two hours to get ready for a date, so we're even." He grinned. "You need something?"

She plopped down at the foot of the bed. "Yeah, I actually wanted to ask you a favor."

Nick saw the glint in her eye and held up his hands. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that if I agree to this, you owe me big time."

"What if I just want you to run to the store? What's so huge about asking you to do that?"

He half-smiled. "Sara, I've known you for a long time. This has got nothing to do with groceries. You want me to do something about Catherine and Warrick."

"Look at it this way: It's not just me; Lexi and Lindsey want it too. And I'm sure Catherine and Warrick will appreciate it in the end."

"I'll take your word for it," he said, "but if they end up hating us, I'm blaming it on you."

"Okay," she agreed.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Here's our plan…"

* * *

The next morning, six people met at a café for breakfast. The night before, Nick had called Warrick and told him the whole gang, plus the kids, were meeting for a little post-work meal. Warrick immediately noticed the absence of Greg and Grissom.

He pointed to the table which was surrounded by six chairs. "What are we going to do when the others get here?"

Nick looked to Sara who stared at her napkin as she spoke. "Oh, they're not coming."

Catherine unfolded her utensils. "They're not?"

"Nope. Greg had a date and Grissom had some bug thing. I tried not to press on it."

A waitress delivered menus and conversation dulled out. Four people made eye contact continually, but the other two seemed oblivious. Lexi looked up and noticed the waitress was walking their way to take orders. She fake-coughed, catching Sara off guard. The brunette glanced at her watch and stood up. Soon the only people left sitting were Catherine and Warrick.

"Wow," said Sara, "would you look at the time? Girls, you have that play thing in like fifteen minutes, right? Nick, you drive."

Catherine gaped at the scene of the teenagers racing out of the building before they could be questioned. She reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Sara's jacket. "What play thing?"

"Oh, Lexi is rehearsing for The Crucible and Lindsey is a prop girl. It's new," she replied before dashing off at Nick's heels.

The waitress took a few steps back, figuring that the couple left would need some time to recuperate from the earlier scene.

Warrick took a sip of his water and pointed towards the door. "You know, I bet they planned that."

Catherine nodded and then clapped her hands to her mouth. "The plan! Last night Lindsey was plotting something with Alexis and Sara. None of them would tell me what it was, but I just assumed it was skipping school or something. I can't believe Sara is involved."

Warrick smiled and began to chew on an ice cube. "Ah, well," he said picking up the menu again, "we might as well make the best of it."

* * *

**A/N2: **I have no idea when the next one will be done, but I hope it's before a month. It will cover Warrick and Catherine's breakfast together. Let me know what you thought. Thanks.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 16

Catherine sat mesmerized, gazing at the man across from her. She was surprised that Warrick was willing to play along and have breakfast with her. The whole plot had thrown her for a loop and she would've expected it to do the same for him, but he just sat there deciding what to eat.

The bell at the front of the café jingled and in walked Nick. He strolled over to the table, bent over, and picked up a brown purse. He held it up for both Warrick and Catherine to see.

"Sara forgot this," he said and Catherine hummed in reply.

"Have fun at the play," Warrick said.

"What? Oh right. Don't worry; we will," he said.

Catherine looked down at the table as Nick began to walk backwards to the door.

"Enjoy," Nick said and he winked at Warrick before disappearing into the morning sun.

Warrick went back to his menu, but Catherine kept her eyes locked on the table. This feeling was frustrating. As much as she wanted to get up and dash out of the building like everyone else had, she wanted to stay and eat a meal with one of her best friends. Granted she was hugely attracted to him, but that should just make everything more complicated…right?

"I'm thinking pancakes," he said, "with a side of bacon. Maybe an egg or two. And orange juice. You can't have a good breakfast without a nice glass of orange juice. What about you?"

"The French toast looks delicious. I was always a person for anything to do with cinnamon."

He ordered for them when the waitress walked over. She looked a little hesitant as if she wasn't used to people rushing in and out of restaurants.

"Lindsey's been working on this for a long time," Warrick said.

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked, although secretly she knew.

"You and me. Think about it. The dance: she rigged it so you had to go with me. Don't look at me like that. I talked to the guys and they all admitted that Lindsey called and made them promise to stay home. The time she hurt her hand I accused her of doing it on purpose and she denied it so fast I'm wondering if I was right. Before you invited me to her party, she called me complaining about how I never saw her anymore. The kid is a mastermind. I know Lexi and Sara helped, but I have no doubt that this was all Lindsey's big picture."

She sighed. "Some days I look at her and see myself. There was nothing I wanted more when I was little than my mother and Sam together. If I had been as smart as she is I probably would've behaved the same way. I also think she has this incredible gift to read my mind. It doesn't hurt that she's persuasive, either."

He chuckled and she smiled. It was a sound that always made her heart feel lighter. How many times when he was married did she wish that it was her wearing the ring instead of Tina? How many times did she think it would be easier if she just sucked it up and told him how she felt?

"Catherine, is Lindsey accustomed to getting whatever she wants?"

"In a way. I know it's wrong, but she argues so much I have to give in eventually."

There was a gleam in his eye she hadn't noticed before. "What makes this time any different?"

"I, um, I."

"Look, we've been dancing around this whole thing for years. I know it, and I have no doubt you do too. It's also obvious that other people see it. I'm not saying we should rush right over to Circus Circus and get married. I've done that once in my life and things didn't turn out great. I'm just saying that we should take things slow and see where they take us. We don't even have to tell anyone."

A tear formed in her eye and when it rolled out, he reached over and wiped it away.

"You don't have to say anything right now," he said.

A waiter brought over their steaming plates of food and they dug in, letting the silence engulf them. As if the whole restaurant was trying to convince Catherine of something, the radio was playing soft love songs. She was eating and trying to decipher the words, finding ways to apply them to her own life. She played the options over and over in her mind. She had been burned several times in the past and was a self-confessed skeptic.

She looked at the face of the man sitting next to her. In all of their years working together he had never done anything to hurt her. He had been there for her on countless occasions and was always a major help when it came to dealing with her rather rambunctious daughter. She knew there was no point in looking; she'd never find a reason to say "no" to him. He was, by her standards, perfect, and that wasn't something the average person measured up to. Perhaps the biggest thing Warrick Brown had on his side was the absolute love Lindsey had for him. If anything happened and she was told, the girl would approve. More than that, even. Lindsey would be ecstatic, something Catherine hadn't truly seen her be in a long time.

"Warrick," she said, "I've been thinking about this French toast here. It is really good, but I've tasted something better. The day you made those pastries at my house I felt my life was complete. Everything I needed was there. Of course it wasn't just the food that made it great; it was the people I was sharing it with. Lindsey was happy and that's a miracle. And you were there. You are the one person I've been able to count on continuously. I don't see why that should change."

He nodded. "You know, I really like this decision of yours."

She grinned.

He took another bite of his monster breakfast. "And may I just say that this is the best food I have ever tasted?"

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know what you thought. I'm thinking this story is just about over.

Most of you know that this story is the companion to "Headliner." It's what was going on in the YoBling world while Nick and Sara were getting together. Well, I've decided to write a sequel. It would be focusing mainly on the Snickers side. The general consensus is that people would like to see it. What do you think? Thanks so much.


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow, it has been _forever_ since I updated this last. I had an unfortunate falling-out with the characters of CSI. The miniature killer story-line got really old for me and I quit watching. I practically gave up on all of my CSI stories. But then people wrote to me and asked me to continue. So, without further ado, and with a promise never to quit, I bring you chapter 17 and thank you for sticking with me.**

**The Antics of Lindsey Willows**

Chapter 17

Lindsey Willows paced the floor of her living room. Sara, Nick, and Lexi were watching a reality TV program, but the youngest girl's attention could not be held by it. She had been sure Sara's plan was going to backfire, that Warrick and Catherine would burst into the house and be completely furious, and that she, Lindsey, would be grounded until the end of the century. As it wasn't even 2010, she'd have a very long wait.

When the front door stayed locked as the hours wore on, the fear had been replaced by strong curiosity. She couldn't wait to know the outcome of breakfast. If everything went well, she could be shopping for a bridesmaid dress before she graduated from high school. If things went badly, her mother might be so devastated as to give up her profession and move them to some tiny town in Idaho. Lindsey didn't think she could bear the shame if something like that happened.

The other three laughed at something on the screen, and Lindsey turned to watch. The hilarious moment had passed, so the girl went right back to pacing.

Outside, two people sat in a black SUV in the driveway.

Catherine brushed the bangs from her eyes. "How long do you think we can sit out here before they notice?"

Warrick scratched his chin. "Ordinarily I'd say we only have a few minutes, but the shades are closed, so we might have ten."

"In any case, I just wanted to tell you that this was really nice. I've had fun eating with you before, but this was different." She shifted in her seat.

"I agree. You're a class act, Catherine Willows. I don't know what it is about you that makes you so darn attractive."

She blushed and fixed her eyes on the steering wheel in front of her. "Oh, I don't know about that."

He chuckled. "I do. I'm sure I've told you plenty of times, but in case you've forgotten, I'll tell you again. You're the kindest, strongest person I know. I think that if I'd been the one to go through everything you have, I would have broken. You've raised one heck of a girl, with more brains than are good for a fourteen-year-old. Plus, you're smart, and a good person to hang out with."

Catherine looked up. "Now, really. I've told you I want to be in a relationship. There's no need to butter me up anymore."

He grinned and held her stare. "You know what? You're just going to have to get used to the butter. There's much more where this came from."

She was about to reply when there was a knock at Warrick's window. Both looked out, with shocked expressions on their faces. Four smiling people were staring back at them.

Warrick pressed a button inside of the car and his window whirred downward. "Can we help you?" he asked.

"We were just wondering how long the two of you were going to sit out here. The neighbors are beginning to get suspicious," said Nick.

"That's how we found out you were home," added Lindsey and she pointed across the street where an older woman was peeking through the slats of her blinds.

"What do you say we all go in and have some lemonade?" Sara said. "Lexi made it."

Warrick rolled the window back up and then both he and Catherine climbed out. The six people went up the walk into the Willows house with Warrick at the rear, resting his hand on the small of Catherine's back.

"How was the play?" The redhead asked as soon as the front door was shut.

"Oh, yeah…" Lindsey trailed off.

"About that," Lexi started.

"Look at them," Nick said and pointed at the females.

"Okay, so there never was a play," Sara confessed.

"Gee," Warrick said, "we never could've imagined that. You tricked us yet again. How fooled we were!"

"You really had us going, guys," Catherine continued sarcastically.

"You all are a bunch of meddlers if I ever saw them," said Warrick.

"Maybe," Lindsey replied, "but we had the best of intentions."

Lexi, who had disappeared into the kitchen, came out holding six glasses. "Who's up for some lemonade?"

An hour later the mini-party had cleared out, and only Catherine and Lindsey were left in the house. Catherine was seated on the couch and waited for her daughter to finish wiping off the counter before patting the cushion next to her. The blonde sat quickly.

"Alright, kid, the joke's up. How long have you been plotting this?" Catherine asked.

"You want the whole truth?" When her mom nodded, the girl continued. "Okay, well, it's really been in my head for a long time. I've been around you and Warrick for too long not to pick up on something. I never actually planned on acting on it until I met Lexi. We got Nick and Sara together and then I began to think, why not you? And then I got help from practically everybody, and here we are."

"Here we are."

Lindsey wrinkled her nose. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Catherine draped an arm around her daughter. "Of course not. You're quite a kid, Lindsey Willows, and I'm proud to call you mine."

"Okay, if you're not mad, then something good must've happened at breakfast. You want to spill?"

Catherine laughed. "I'm not sure I really have a choice." She grinned at the girl so like herself, and divulged everything about that morning.

* * *

That evening, Catherine went to work with a smile on her face. She was certain Greg had been told about the earlier hours, but even the thought of his constant teasing couldn't get her down. She found all of her coworkers in the locker room and felt all of their eyes watch her as she took off her jacket.

Sara spoke to Catherine and Warrick first. "Hey, look, you two, if we made you uncomfortable or anything, we're sorry. The kids asked us to help, and we couldn't very well say no. I don't know if you've met our kids, but they are pretty convincing."

Nick added his two cents. "But you have to admit that you two did look pretty happy in that car before we interrupted."

"That's very true," Warrick agreed.

"We really should be thanking you. Lindsey was getting desperate. Who knows what she might've done if she didn't get her way soon? Thanks for keeping her out of trouble," Catherine said.

"It was our pleasure," said Nick.

"So," Sara said once all the men had filed out, "what exactly happened at that breakfast table?"

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading. More will definitely come.** **Please let me know what you thought!**


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